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(No Model.)

, R.LAM0NT. I

MACHINE FOR AND METHOD 0P SEWING STRAW BRAID. No. 245,727. Patented Aug.16,1881.,

N4 PETERS. PholvLilhngnpher, Washington. a. c.

UNITED STATES PATENT OEEicE.

ROBERT LAMONT, OF BROOKLYN, NEW YORK.

MACHINE FOR AND METHOD OF SEWING STRAW BRAID.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No, 245,727, dated August16, 1881.

Application filed June 28, 1881.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, ROBERT LAMONT, of Brooklyn, in the county of Kingsand State of New York, have invented an Improvement in Machines for andMethods of Sewing Straw Braids, of which the following is aspecification.

Machines have been usedfor sewing straw braid with an elasticchain-stitch adapted to the stretching and pressing action in blockingthe bonnet or hat. In these machines the sewing is visible upon thesurface of the hat because the stitching is through one braid, near theedge thereof, into the braid below.

My invention is for concealing the stitches on the outer or right sideof the hat or bonnet. With this object in view I provide peculiar guidesfor the braid, that lift up the edge of one layer of the braid, sothatthe line of stitches that unite the other braids may be beneath theedge of this layer of braid and covered by it when the braid assumes itsflat position or the hat is, pressed.

By this improvement the braid is united in the most firm and reliablemanner, and the stitches cannot be seen when the hat or bonnet iscompleted for use.

In the drawings, Figure l is a side view of a sewing-machine withmyimprovcd guides in place. Fig. 2 is a plan view of the bed and guides.Fig. 3 is a plan View of the guides and part of the bed in larger sizethan shown in Fig. 2, and Fig. 4 is a section at the line 00 as, Fig. 3,of the guides and braid in larger size for greater olearness.

The bed a of the machine, the needle b, and needle-bar b, thepresser-foot a, feeding device d, and the looper are of any usual ordesired character.

I prefer and use a single chain-stitch; but a double chain-stitch may beused or any other form of stitch adapted to sewing straw braids, as myinvention is not limited in this particular.

I make use of three guides for the braid, one guide, '5, for the outeredge ofthe loose braid, another guide, 0, for the edge of the layer ofbraid that has been sewed to the rest of the fabric, and a third guide,8, for lifting the edge of the previous layer of braid. The layer ofbraid, the

(No model.)

edge of which is lifted, is marked 1, the other layer is marked 2, andthe loose braid that is a to be sewed to the layer 2 is marked 3.

The guide 1' is adjustable, so that the edge of the braid 3 may benearer to or farther from the line of sewing performed by the needle 0.I have represented a slotted plate, 1'', and screw 4 as the means forholding and adjusting the guide i.

The guide 0 is in the form of a flange upon a spring-plate, 0, that isslotted and attached by a screw, 5, to the bed. This spring-plate o isabove the loose braid 3, and the guide 0 is for the edge of the braid 2.To determine the distance the line of stitching that unites 2 and 3together shall be from the edge of the braid 2. The guide 1' is cut awayupon the side that is next to the bed a, so as to allow for the plate 0passing such guide i and being attached to the bed a.

The guide 8 is simply a lifter for the edge of the layer 1 of braid. Theend of this lifter is close to the path of the needle, and the curvedlifting finger or projection 7 passes in between the braids l and 2, andits upper surface is by preference scored with grooves that are slightlyinclined, so that the braid tends to run upon the guide 8 as it is drawnalong. This guide 8 is preferably supported upon the end of the rockinglever Z, the fulcrum of which is at on, and there is a spring, a, toapply a slight pressure to keep the guide 5 down upon the braid 2, andthe cam-lever t is employed for pressing down the back end of the leverand lifting the front end and relieving the guide 8 from pressing on thebraid.

From the foregoing it will be evident that the braid l is lifted andbent back by the action of the guide 8 sufficiently to allow the line ofstitching that unites the braids 2 and 3 to be under the edge of thebraid l, so as to be invisible when the hat or bonnet is blocked andpressed.

I claim as my invention-- 1. The combination, in a machine for sewing 5straw braids, of the guides i 0 s, the guide t so that the line ofstitches will come beneath the edge of the braid, substantially as setforth. 2. The combination, in a machine for sewing straw braid, of theguide i, plate i, and clamp- 5 ing-screw, the guide 0, plate 0, andclampingscrew, the guide 8, lever 1, spring 72, and lifting-cam 16,substantially as set forth.

3. The method herein described of sewing straw braid, consisting inpassing the braid 3 IO to be sewed between the bed and the previous-]y-sewed braid 2, lifting up the edge of the previous braid 1, anduniting the braid 3 to the braid 2 by a line of stitching that comesbeneath the edge of the braid 1, substantially as set forth. I5

Signed by me this 17th day of June, A. D.

ROBERT LAMONT.

Witnesses HAROLD SERRELL, WILLIAM G. Mom.

